The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-07-20
OUT OF THE WILDS.
a Country where the Three rps Are Prac
ticed to XIII on Time.
| IRON the San Francisco Examiner.l

From the San Francisco Examiner,
''Fhe nights at juneau, in Alaska, are
no longer than they are here" said ex-
Collector OF toe Port of Sitka Peter French,
to reporter yesterday, but take the
days and nights together they are pretty
long. To wear the dreaTy hours away We
study reading. writing and arithmetic"
The ex-collector spoke in cynica, vein-
For three years he had, been buried in
Alaskan wilds, and it was plain that he
was glad 10 get out.
ITS mining country, that's all, said
be; sit is rock-Tibbed and rock-bound.
juneau is the liveliest town in the terri
tory. 1t has 900 whites and 1000 Indian
population, and is building nifty new
houses right DOW. 1t is the Quitting
point for the YUKON mines, and is in
every way the most important town il the
country. Nobody yet knows any thing
about the progress thus far this year in
the Yukon region, for nobody has come
out of there vet. Last year the mines did
very well. We think the future will show
that they have done better this year.
Times are not very lively at Sitka. 1t
has about 800 or 400 whites and Russians,
and some coo Indians. 1t is dali and in
active. Gov. Swineford's paper The Alas
kan, did not come out the week before 1
left, and / think 1t has died. The Free
Press, at juneau, is coming along about as
well as usual.
There is some important mining ne VS.
to give you. The Treadwell people, of
Douglas Island, are increasing their plant
from 40 stamps to $40. They have been
crushing 300 tons day heretofore for
two years. The new mine will make it
600. The ora runs from s. to $13 a ton,
and averages about S..
"a Boston syndicate, headed by Thomas
Knowles. is putting up a 160-stamp mill
also on Douglas Island, and building
wharf. They have good property there,
which will pay very we'll. The same COM
pa4y has property at Berne's Bay, where
am also interested. The ore there is of an
entirely different character. II is richer
by great deal.
There are now about $50 stamps, all
told, in Southeastern Alaska. Next year
think there will be at least 500 or 900, as
considerable capital is going in. This Bos-
ton firm expect to put in $1,000, 600 this
year. and many people now living there
expect TO put IN a Jew thousand each.
There will be good many new mines
opened.
The Indians are giving no trouble in
Alaska. They are working Indians. They
are sll Thlinkets, but are subdivided into
Childots, Stickeens Yaktals, and so on.
They are very pesceable.
II don't think much of Lieut.. Fred
Schwatkas scheme, to start a big cattle
ranch on the Aleutian Islands. / don't
think it will work. There may be a sufi.
cient area, and the grass is good. The
climate, too, would not interfere, since the
warm waves of the Pacific beat upon it;
but what would he do with his cattle after
be had them raised2 If he undertook to
sell them, recken he would fnd Nevada
California and three or four other States and
Territories could underbid him by good
deal. Mr.. Schwatka would have to stand
trifie in the way of freights. Then the
sea is rough, and a good deal OF meat
would be shaken off the cattle's bones be-
fore they got here.
1T is raining heavily in Alaska now. 1t
rains good deal Of the time, and was COM
ing down thick and fast when left"
Mr.. French said he was very glad to get
away. he will remain here two or three
days and then proceed to New York.